A car dealership in Letchworth has closed down, resulting in redundancies. 

Ken Brown Motors, which has held a Hyundai franchise in Letchworth since 2019 and in Richmond since 2018, said it had been awaiting its "assured renewal contract" since May.

"However, compounded by a fruitless search for a new site and a year of major roadworks outside the Richmond dealership limiting footfall and staff access, the situation of uncertainty renders the site no longer viable," said a spokesperson for Ken Brown Motors.

"The closure of Richmond has an immediate knock-on impact on the Letchworth dealership [in Icknield Way], meaning that Ken Brown Motors falls short of Hyundai’s objective of only working with multi-site operators.

"Without the written renewal agreement, it has meant it is not viable to continue to run both sites."

It is understood 40 people have been made redundant across the two sites, as a result of their closures.

Jon Taylor, managing director of Ken Brown Motors, said: "We’ve had a good relationship with Hyundai and they’ve been very supportive during the road closure. However, the uncertainty at both sites means that it is no longer viable for us.

"We continue an excellent partnership with Kia in Stevenage and Harlow and will seek new opportunities to fill the gap."

He added: "A massive thank you goes to the staff, some of whom I have worked with for over 20 years. I have a huge appreciation for the job they have done and the support they have given."